Best of the Best
by Hawki
Summary: Oneshot: Galaxy Garrison wanted only the best of the best to fly its ships. Thing was, so did the International Fleet.


_A/N_

_So up to season 7 of VLD, and seeing Galaxy Garrison again, I can't help but be reminded of _Ender's Game_. As in, organization that recruits kids from schools to train them in aerospace craft. Of course, that's a fairly tangental similarity, but regardless, drabbled this up._

* * *

**Best of the Best**

Something was up.

A lot of things were up – the sun, the clouds, the sky. At night, things that were up included the moon and the stars. And this being the Galaxy Garrison, it was common for things that were up to include aerospace craft being flown across said sky, as the next generation of astronauts were trained to further explore the Sol system. In the years that he'd been here, Keith had seen a lot of things that were "up."

Of course, over the last few months, he hadn't been looking "up" much – not unless flatscreens were mounted too high. Over the last few months, he and every other cadet had had their eyes glued to news reports as to what was going on in China. The formic invasion, and the millions of people who'd died as a result. A week ago, he and everyone else had looked "up" as the final battle for Earth had culminated with the formic ship being destroyed by a ragged group of space miners. Days ago, his eyes had still remained "up" at flatscreens at news reports of a whole formic fleet having been detected beyond the Sol system, set to arrive at Earth within mere years. And while he hadn't watched reports on the formation of the International Fleet with as much interest, he couldn't escape hearing about it. Nations of the world getting together to fight a common foe, putting aside their differences and all that – basically the kind of thing that happened in cartoons that ran for eight seasons of 20 minute episodes.

That had been then though. This was now. Now, his eyes weren't "up," they were straight ahead, looking at the entrance to Galaxy Garrison's admin hub. He crouched behind one of the GG jeeps and peaked at the confrontation.

"You can't do this!"

"I can, I am captain. In fact, it's already done."

He didn't recognise the second voice, but he did recognise the first. Nevertheless, he peaked around, and his suspicions were confirmed.

_Shiro._

A very angry, very aggrieved looking Shiro, standing in the company of other GG staff. Not exactly a Mexican standoff, but there was a clear line between the GG members, and the people they were confronting. A man dressed in a blue uniform that Keith recognised as belonging to the International Fleet. Behind him were two men dressed in the gear used by US marines, but the patches that might have had the flag had been replaced by the IF insignia.

Their leader drew out a piece of paper and handed it to Shiro. "This is an order from the desk of the Strategos. All military assets on Earth are now under IF control. Long as you wear that uniform, you're a member of the Fleet."

Keith watched Shiro take it and skim over it. Involuntarily, he looked at his own fatigues. He'd never given much thought about them until now (everyone wore them, and he'd endured it), but now, with the tans contrasting against the blues…

Shiro handed the paper back to the man. "I know what the Strategos has said. But Galaxy Garrison isn't a military organization. We don't fall under the purview of the IF."

"Calling Galaxy Garrison non-military is a stretch – you have colonels and commanders for God's sake."

"And a mission statement that has nothing to do with war."

The man sighed. "Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane. First man to orbit Jupiter. Until recently, intended to head the Kerberos mission. Name so high, it's spoken of in the same reverence as Neil Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin, and Xing Seng Cho."

Shiro frowned. "I know the company I keep."

"Then you should also know that that means nothing. That GG's status as a multi-national exploratory force means nothing. You've recruited the best of the best here, and trained children to pilot, and command ships. We need them. The IF needs them. So, you either get out of my way, or I clear the way and get to it."

Keith looked at Shiro, and the cadets behind them. All of them had looks of trepidation on their faces.

"Or I call your superior officer." He gave Shiro a shove, and Keith winced. "You're a captain. I can climb the ladder of rank if I have to."

"You can do that. I'm not signing off on this." Shiro looked at the cadets, then back at the IF commander. "None of them have to come with you."

"Long as they're members of the Galaxy Garrison, they do. Question is, where do we put them."

"They're not soldiers!"

"As of 0400 hours, Global Standard Time, they became them. Question is, do they step forward, or are they going to hide behind a car like the cadet who thinks I haven't seen him?"

Keith felt very cold, very quickly. Not so much because of the man's words, but because of the look on Shiro's face. He knew. Without even glancing in his direction, he knew. As if there was only one cadet in Galaxy Garrison who'd be eavesdropping in on a conversation with the intent of hiding himself. He'd once thought himself pretty good at hiding, keeping to himself in the classroom, but apparently here, that didn't cut it.

Keith took a breath and stepped forward. The man glanced at him with a smirk.

"See?" he asked. "Some of your cadets have a backbone."

Keith walked up to the man. "Don't speak to Shiro like that."

The man's gaze narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"Shiro's a member of the Galaxy Garrison, and he deserves your respect."

The man sighed. "Do you know who I am?"

"No I don't, Admiral…Brundle," Keith said, squinting at the name tag on the man's name tag and above that, his chevrons. "But hey, I get it. IF's just been formed, probably riding high…"

"Keith," Shiro said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"…course, the only reason you're so high is that the stick up your arse is propelling you to the stars…"

Something throbbed in Brundle's forehead.

"…and your head is in stuff as dark as the crap that comes out of it. Just like your mouth."

Brundle tried to punch him. Keith dodged it and brought his arm down. Brundle yelled, and while Keith did as well, he had to fight the two marines who grabbed him.

"Keith, enough!"

He barely heard Shiro. He barely paid attention to the marines. A fight had started. When a fight started, he finished it. Fighting was the only time he ever felt alive. Like something had awoken in his blood that wasn't even human. So when a marine brought the butt of his rifle against the back of his head, he sagged, but still remained conscious. He brought his head back, breaking the marine's nose, turned to punch him and-

"**Enough!"**

…and he stopped, as he heard the words of Commander Iverson. Walking over, his face in even more of a scowl than usual.

"The hell is going on here?"

Keith didn't care what Iverson thought. But he did care what Shiro thought. And given the look he gave Keith, the disappointment shining in his eyes, he knew exactly what he thought of the boy he'd plucked from Educational Centre 51.

_Shiro…_

But he looked away at Iverson. "Commander," he said.

Iverson grunted and looked at Brundle. "You're late," he said.

Brundle staggered up to his feet, clutching the arm that Keith had damaged, if not outright broken. "Muzzle your dogs Commander. They're biting."

Iverson grunted again and looked at Keith. "This runt's always been a problem." He looked at Shiro. "Course, his master keeps giving him extra biscuits."

_Fuck you, _Keith reflected.

Shiro cleared his throat. "Sir," he said. "The admiral here's from the International Fleet. He's claiming that Galaxy Garrison is under IF command and-"

"He's not claiming that, he's stating that," Iverson said. "It's been that for the last eight hours and three minutes."

So he knew, Keith reflected. Iverson knew, and he was content with selling Galaxy Garrison off to the wolves. He glared at the man as he put his hand on Brundle's shoulder.

"I'll give you a tour of the facilities," he said, before looking at the cadets. "Rest of you get to think real hard about your future, because you're now in the International Fleet, or you're nothing."

"Sir," Shiro protested. "These are-"

"IF cadets who, if they have any spine, will begin training for IF service," Iverson said. "Commanders, crewmen, marines, whatever. We need soldiers, we need the best of the best, and Galaxy Garrison is going to give it to them." He looked at Keith. "Of course, some of the runts of the litter have better places to be."

Keith struggled to attack him, but a marine hit him with the back of his rifle.

This time, he was knocked out.

* * *

He'd been in the base's brig for five hours before he signed his life away. Shiro only arrived six minutes later.

"Keith."

He looked up at his superior, and, much as he hated to admit it, the closest thing he had to a father right now. People had looked at him with disappointment for as long as he could remember, but seeing the way Shiro looked at him now…it hurt. Even now, it hurt. Hurt so much that still sitting in his cell, he looked down at the floor.

"Keith, look at me."

"Go away Shiro," he murmured.

"Keith, I've given you one chance after another. I've covered for you, made excuses for you, told everyone that you're worth the time and effort."

Keith grunted.

"So for once in your life, you could give me your damn attention!"

Keith looked up at Shiro and fought the urge to recoil. He'd seen Shiro look disappointed before. He'd never seen him look angry. Granted, it was only for a moment, but it seared itself in Keith's mind.

"Brundle's an asshole," he murmured.

"And? You punch everyone who's an asshole?"

"Brundle tried to punch me first, Shiro."

Shiro sighed. "I know. It's why I might be able to pull enough strings to keep you in the GG."

"GG? Don't you mean IF?"

Shiro scowled. "There's a lot of strings here Keith. I've got enough clout to pull them all. Maybe make the puppet dance a little different."

"To what end? Let kids skip out on the war.

"Yes Keith, to skip out on the war."

"Why?"

"Because they're kids, Keith. And like it or not, you're still a kid."

Keith got to his feet. "I'm not a kid Shiro," he snapped.

"You'll be a kid as long as you think you can solve everything with your fists."

Keith groaned and turned around.

"Keith."

He rested his head against the wall of his cell.

"Keith, look at me."

"You're not my dad, Shiro."

"No. I'm not. But if your dad was alive, I'd bet he-"

"You don't know anything about him!"

Keith turned and charged at the bars, only grabbing them at the last moment before slamming his head against them. Shiro just stood there. Looking on with the same look of disappointment he'd given Keith over and over.

"You're not my dad! My dad's dead, and my mum's gone, and I don't care about your chances, or your strings, or anything else! I…I just want to…to…" He staggered back, breathing heavily.

"You done?" Shiro asked.

Keith sat back down on the bed. "Go to hell Shiro."

"Maybe in a few years if the formics make it to Earth. Until then, you're a kid. All the cadets here are kids. And I don't care what the Strategos says, or the Hegemon, or anything else these people say, you're not being sent into battle."

"Actually Shiro, I am being sent into battle."

"No Keith, you're not. Galaxy Garrison is-"

"Shiro," Keith said. He looked up at his mentor. "I'm being sent into battle."

Shiro's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

Keith sighed. "I've joined the IF Marines. Twelve hours from now, I'm going to be sent to Camp Hampstead for basic training, before being sent into low-Earth orbit for zero-g combat training."

"Keith…"

"After that, I'll probably be sent into battle against the formics and die, horribly. But hey. Best I can hope for, right?"

"Keith," Shiro said.

He kept talking. "Know it's not some fancy fleet position, but I-"

"Keith!"

He looked at Shiro again. The look on his eyes was still there. The disappointment. The concern.

"Keith, you're better than this," he said.

Keith grunted. "Think I'm too good to fight?"

"Keith, I didn't teach you how to fly just to make you a grunt. I-"

"I am a grunt Shiro!" He got to his feet. "You know it, I know it. The whole world knows it. What, you think I'm meant for great things? Meant to swing some pretty sword, save the universe, command a crack team? Well, I'm not. I'm just some kid you found at a school!"

The disappointment didn't show in Shiro's eyes this time. Rather, it was resignation. Something that Keith had never seen from him before.

"And that's final," Keith said.

He waited for Shiro to say something. Anything. Even being yelled at would be preferable to this silence right now.

"If that's what you want," Shiro said. He turned around and headed out of the brig, leaving Keith alone.

Exactly as he was meant to be, the teen reflected.


End file.
